Hotel De Ville
an Interview by Auralgasms - May 04, 2006
Hotel De Ville is the new project from the UK composer Rhett Brewer. The self titled CD features an otherworldly soundscape inspired by
Middle Eastern music, 60's French pop and film noir. The new record is quite a departure from his prior Classically based work. Rhett opened up to us for a fascinating
read regarding both his cultural and musical background, digging deep into the inspiration behind this unique and mesmerizing record.
Is there any special meaning to the name Hotel De Ville, which I assume refers to the City Hall in Paris?
Hotel de Ville is really just a metaphor. Amongst other things it is a metaphor for life. For the francophiles amongst us, the first reference is often the City Hall in Paris. Though even in Paris, the name loses this concrete sense when you realise that both a metro station and an entire part of Paris are called Hotel de Ville.
There's also a play on words, since a more literal translation conjures images of an old urban hotel. For me, there's a romantic French universe to explore, with a classic bohemian sensibility and notions of French resistance. France is a place of fantasy and imagination, and has a legacy of rich stories and films.
At the end of the day, I see this French connection with Hotel de Ville simply as a framework. An album and a musical project, which represents a place – both an actual one, and one in people's thoughts and dreams. I felt very much when I was recording the music, that I was taking the listener somewhere - to an internal place with rooms, locks, keys and emotions, and so it made sense to name it after an actual location. On an amusing note, I nicknamed my studio Hotel de Ville, since I checked in and never seemed to leave whilst recording the album!
I understand you have some French blood in you. You seem enamored with all things France, from the name, to some of your lyrics and even elements of 60's French pop. What is the connection for a New York born composer in his 30's?
You know, my mother was a French language and literature teacher, and France always held a kind of built-in attraction for me. Though it may seem strange to have this fascination from afar, what better place to see France clearly, then from across the English Channel. As they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder.
I think that early in my life I was in search of a sense of identity. Being from a mixed background culturally I didn't easily fit into a box. More than any other country, France has connected art and concept with its national identity. I think when you listen to people like Francoise Hardy or Getz and Gilberto bossa nova, (which was popularised in Paris), the innocence and a certain seductive melancholy captivates people. I feel that a fragile voice placed over an orchestra can reflect a certain element of our lives. With Hotel de Ville, I aimed to return to this kind of soft intensity, while borrowing from this dynamic.
What prompted the move from NY to England?
You know, when I was younger in New York, I was always drawn to the exotic. My first close friends were Russian emigrees, and so my world-view was increasingly wide. I thought as a kid, why listen to rap when there are Bulgarian choirs and so much music I had never heard before? When I studied abroad in Russia, I knew Europe was calling my name. London happened partially by accident. Initially, London entranced me with its clash of old and new. Also, the city remains one of the world's truly neutral cultural territories. London is like an island in the UK, which is an island off the coast of Europe and because of its history it stands very much at the centre of multiple strands of influence. I came for 6 months, which in the end has been for more than a decade. New York is in my blood, though my adult life has been spent entirely in London.
Have you done a lot of travelling while composing? Your work has a very 'global' sound, specifically Middle Eastern.
One of the things that has always gripped me in London, is the staggering variety of cultures. Walking down a typical street here, you get this overwhelming sense of so many places, and music of course is a big part of it. I was fascinated from quite an early age in music from other backgrounds. Of course I mentioned music from Eastern Europe, but then later by extension I was also drawn to music from the Middle East. I found the more that I studied traditional music, from early classical music to music form the east, the sound world and instruments often overlapped. In my own music, I've always taken inspiration from different musical references, without really focusing on the dividing lines.
Where do you find the inspiration for the songs that you write?
Actually several of the songs on Hotel de Ville began their lives as part of a film project. For example, the basic elements of the opening track Millennia were originally from a theme I wrote for a film entitled Sophie Scholl, The Last Days. In the end, for various reasons, I didn't work on this film, but the music had a life of its own and developed into something else.
Another song, entitled Stay, was inspired by the death of my friend, the film director Brian Gibson, who was married to someone very close to me. I wrote the song from her perspective, since I watched her watching him slowly fade away over the course of years with cancer. I have always found inspiration in people, and films and stories as much as in other music.
What are some artists or musical genres that influence you? In Hotel De Ville, I hear elements of Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil, Craig Armstrong.
The list of references has become enormous over the years, and certainly Dead Can Dance and people involved with This Mortal Coil have left their mark. I've just recently discovered Craig Armstrong's work, which is really wonderful and inspiring. I am very passionate about certain contemporary composers such as Arvo Part and Zbignieuw Preisner who are reference points. On the other hand, I am equally drawn to the work of Portishead, Jan Garbarek and icons like Nina Simone. For me, the intensity of feeling in music is the only real qualification, and not the box, or genre. But then perhaps because of my time in Catholic school, I'm quite drawn to music that has a spiritual element, a search for internal resonance and meaning.
This Hotel De Ville record has a very cinematic sound to it. Tell us about some the European films you have scored. Have you considered doing film scores in America?
After the release of The Ebbing Wings of Wisdom, I started moving towards film as a medium partially as a way to explore music from different angles. Eventually though, I wanted to get back to recording my own work, and also to integrating elements of film music into my own project and musical narrative.
Actually, from the beginning, I treated the album in many ways like a film. There was a narrative thread, a few rules for discipline purposes. And as I mentioned, a few of the songs on Hotel de Ville began their lives as melodies from the Sophie Scholl project. Since I have such a wide palette of musical possibilities, I started off with the idea of creating a project and album with a clearer visual and sonic identity.
In Europe, I have worked now on quite a few films and documentaries. One example, Every Picture, is a British noir thriller. The film is very atmospheric and borrows visually from Japanese horror. I developed a musical vocabulary for the project with the director Tobias Tobbell, which mixes orchestra, texture and interweaving themes. Another interesting project was a documentary for the BBC called The Feast, which looked into the many cultural traditions surrounding the traditional feast in different communities. The soundtrack recording became a mini-UN with a klezmer group playing one minute and an Arabic ensemble playing the next. I have actually worked on several American films as well; including a film entitled The Lot, which hopefully will be screening sometime in the Autumn (www.thelotmovie.com).
I hear you have worked on a score for a videogame as well?
Homeworld2 was a great experience musically and personally. Rob Cunningham, the creative developer of Homeworld decided some time ago that he wanted to involve me in the score. Since the story creates a world which is both futuristic as much as ancient, the sound needed to reflect this and emotionally invlove players. Together with Paul Ruskay, the principal composer, we jointly developed the themes that are used on the game. Since Homeworld has a larger than life drama to it, where virtual lives and hopes are at stake, it was great to be involved. We spent about a week experimenting with my vocals, and recorded the orchestral arrangements with the Vancouver Symphonic Orchestra. I only hope that Universal, who own the project, decide to release the soundtrack some day.
How is your solo debut The Ebbing Wings of Wisdom different from the Hotel De Ville project? Why was it released under the name Ronan Quays?
For those with longer memories, The Ebbing Wings of Wisdom was originally released under the project title Ronan Quays. I am happy to announce that The Ebbing Wings of Wisdom will be re-released shortly through ex-directory records. Initially, I knew that I was searching for a musical vehicle that could encompass what I was interested in at the time. But once you get into film scoring, you are judged more on what you can do as a composer than what you do within an ensemble, and I began using my own name from that point. The Ebbing Wings of Wisdom was my first foray into serious recording, and I'm still happy with the results. I think it captured a special moment, and I hope it still touches people today.
Hotel de Ville is quite a musical departure from that period. Whereas The Ebbing Wings of Wisdom was inspired by Medieval and Renaissance music, Hotel de Ville is a bit more rooted in the present. My first album was released under the name Ronan Quays, because that was the name of my group at the time.
I understand you received support from the BBC for Ebbing Wings. Are you receiving similar treatment for Hotel De Ville?
The BBC's Charlie Gillet was a real champion of my first album. He played tracks on his show for about 6 weeks, and obviously that created a lot of interest. Hotel de Ville is just available online from this week, and we hope that Charlie and others will help to spread the music to new audiences. I also hope that people who enjoy what I do will forward requests to local radio stations and places like auralgasms, as all artists depend on that.
Was your collaboration with Lisa Gerrard your biggest springboard to success? Talk a little about These Wings Without Feathers.
These Wings Without Feathers was a wonderful project and Lisa generously donated some of her work towards the album. The former fledgling label De Nova Da Capo was launched with this release, and it certainly opened many doors for me. From an artistic point of view, I always thought that the most interesting aspect of this project was that the work of four separate artists merged to create a new musical journey. The project also included work by Mark St. John Ellis and Co-Ex. Ultimately, I love working with other people, and These Wings Without Feathers is an example of a successful creative union.
Do you consider Hotel De Ville to be a solo record or an entity of its own? Do you play most of the instruments on the record as well as provide vocals? Were there any special guests on the record who you would like to credit?
From the beginning, the intention with Hotel de Ville was to create a project that with an identity of its own. Although the vision was very singular, other musicians were involved at various points, so the album involved quite a bit of collaboration. In the end, I played many of the instruments on Hotel de Ville, which as you can imagine was quite a challenge. I was constantly wearing different hats; performing on instruments, recording vocals, recording other people and then finally mixing and engineering the whole project all at home. You could say that financial limitations inspired my multi-instrumentalism to new heights.
Several key people were involved however, including Pierre Duplan who did some of the percussion performances and programming. He's worked with Add N to (X) and Moby previously, and brought a wonderful sense of texture to the project. Also, pianist John Lenehan, who has worked with Michael Nyman and who performs music for many silent films, was involved in the recording of Hymn to the Forsaken. The piano melody was originally all there was, which then evolved into the current song once voice and percussion were added. You also hear performances by members of the Elemental Orchestra on most tracks, which brought a lot of depth to the recording. Mike Marsh dramatically enhanced the final result when he mastered Hotel de Ville. Having worked with Goldfrapp, Moby, Massive Attack and Bjork amongst others, Mike added another dimension to the music that would have been impossible alone.
You have released under Ronan Quays, Rhett Brewer and Hotel De Ville. Do you find it difficult to sustain a following this way or are you actively trying to keep separate musical identities?
For some time now, there have been only two musical identities with my work, which makes things easier: Hotel de Ville and Rhett Brewer. Hotel de Ville has a distinct sound and instrumentation, and it made sense creatively to give it a separate name. But other releases, and things of a more classical or film-based nature will be released from now on under my own name. For example, The Ebbing Wings of Wisdom will be re-released under my name later this year. Also a previously unreleased compilation album, entitled Map of the Human Heart, will also be released under my name towards Christmas. This new album contains music from various film projects, and actually forms a nice bridge between Hotel de Ville and older work. The best way to keep informed about new and old releases is by adding yourself to my myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/rhettbrewer
What is the plan for how to market this record? Is it a mostly online and word of mouth campaign?
Initially, like a private club, word of mouth will be the primary way to hear about the project. However, as more and more people and radio stations are picking up on the music, people are discovering the album and that club is widening. A few interviews here in London, as well as a batch of new reviews have also been spreading the word. I really love it when people like the music and then express that in some creative way…for example, some of the poetic comments posted here on auralgasms recently! Who needs the music, when you have such beautiful reviews?
One thing I can also announce is that we have signed an agreement with Start Mobile (www.startmobile.com). They are about to launch a new ringtone service as reported in USA Today on April 13th, and some of my music has been selected for the launch. Within the next few weeks, people will be able to download several ringtones from Hotel de Ville for free. So you heard it here first!
Will you be touring anywhere in support of Hotel De Ville?
I love performing, although ironically I haven't had the opportunity to play in the US yet. A few years ago, I performed with an orchestral group of 20, which was really great. Some of this music will be available on Map of the Human Heart in the Autumn.
Currently, we are planning a tour in Europe. Translating Hotel de Ville into a live experience is exciting. We're planning a somewhat theatrical aspect, including a stage design where we perform behind a sheer cinema screen, with a cinematic film montage played over Hotel de Ville…as if we're part of the film. There are lots of discussions happening as we speak, and hopefully I will be able to tour the US finally! I have also been invited to do a performance and album launch in San Francisco at the Hotel des Arts towards the end of the summer, curated by Start Mobile. Again, I will keep people posted through Myspace.
What is the next step for Rhett Brewer?
Currently, I'm focused on spreading the word about Hotel de Ville and getting out on the road touring. And I am also slowly starting the process of developing the beginnings of a Hotel de Ville 2. However, between all this, there are a number of new film projects in the works. Several exciting projects deal with issues concerning east and west, like some of my music.
One is an American feature film entitled Peacewalker, which is currently in post-production. The story follows Ray, an American whose brother is killed in Iraq. Despondent about the violence in the world, his own loss and the deteriorating relationship between the US and other countries, Ray makes the decision to hike 1000 miles on his own pilgrimage for world peace. He chooses to hike through England and Scotland, a place he once planned to visit with his brother. The media becomes interested in the journey and soon many have come to hike along side him to do their own peace walk.
Another interesting project is a new feature film by Dutch director Pieter Verhoeff called Ali and Nino. We worked together recently on a Dutch documentary about the Firesian blind poet Tsjêbbe Hettinga. Ali and Nino is an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Kurban Said. The story charts the perils of love and culture clash between a Muslim boy and a Christian girl before the outbreak of World War I. One could say that Ali and Nino is a historical and Middle Eastern Romeo and Juliet, but with a very current perspective for recent social and political events.
Please drop us a line on Myspace or on Auralgasms! And thank you so much Scott for taking your time with this, and for introducing so many people to Hotel de Ville!